Ukraine war: Odesa defies Russia and embraces signs of life

Amid the whining air raid sirens, the checkpoints, neighbourhood patrols, and enduring fears of Russian attacks - from the sea, air, or land - the historic and cosmopolitan Ukrainian resort city of Odesa is gently trying to reconnect with its famously relaxed holiday spirit, as if embracing it were a form of defiance against the Kremlin.

"Music is life. When music is silenced, anything can happen. Music is a way of protecting our minds," said Olexandr Proletarskyi, a music critic, sitting on a bar stool in a dark cellar venue near the city centre.

But the recent reopening of clubs, beach restaurants, and nail salons across Odesa is not simply an expression of defiance, or an economic necessity. It also reflects growing local confidence in the course of the war against Russia, at least here on the Black Sea coast. read more